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ModelCap

Head-to-head comparison

GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 4.6V

GLM 4.5 Air (Z.ai) and GLM 4.6V (Z.ai) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 7 November 2026

As of 7 November 2026, GLM 4.6V holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#143 vs #146); and GLM 4.5 Air is cheaper per output token ($0.85/1M vs $0.90/1M).

Which should you choose?

Choose GLM 4.5 Air if…

  • API cost matters — $0.85/1M output tokens against $0.90/1M.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.13/1M against $0.30/1M.
  • you want provider choice — 3 listed API providers against 2.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1426 against 1416.

Choose GLM 4.6V if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #143 against #146 (46.6 vs 45.1 points).
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1378 against 1373.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GLM 4.6V was listed 8 December 2025, GLM 4.5 Air 25 July 2025.

GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 4.6V: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GLM 4.5 Air and GLM 4.6V
FieldGLM 4.5 AirZ.aiGLM 4.6VZ.ai
ModelCap Index position#146#143
Index score45.146.6
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.13$0.30
Output price / 1M tokens$0.85$0.90
Context window131K tokens131K tokens
Declared route output cap98K33K
API providers listed32
Weight accessOpen weightsOpen weights
Input modalitiesTextImage, Text, Video
First listed25 July 20258 December 2025
PublisherZ.aiZ.ai

Evidence: 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards · 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 4.6V

Public benchmark boards where GLM 4.5 Air or GLM 4.6V has a published result
BoardGLM 4.5 AirGLM 4.6VLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)13731369–1377Not reported13781367–1389Not reportedGLM 4.6V
Arena codingArena (LMArena)14261419–143414161391–1441GLM 4.5 Air

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 4.6V: common questions

Is GLM 4.5 Air better than GLM 4.6V?

GLM 4.6V ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 7 November 2026: #143 against #146. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it. Their published uncertainty intervals overlap, so the rank difference alone does not establish a reliable capability advantage for your workload.

Is GLM 4.5 Air cheaper than GLM 4.6V?

GLM 4.5 Air is cheaper on output tokens: $0.85/1M against $0.90/1M. Input tokens are $0.13/1M for GLM 4.5 Air and $0.30/1M for GLM 4.6V. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens. For 1,000 requests with 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each (2M input + 0.5M output), the listed-rate estimate is $0.69 for GLM 4.5 Air versus $1.05 for GLM 4.6V. GLM 4.5 Air costs 34.8% less in this scenario. This excludes caching, batch discounts, prompt-length tiers, tool charges and retries; verify the selected endpoint before budgeting.

Which has the bigger context window, GLM 4.5 Air or GLM 4.6V?

Both publish a 131K-token context window. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, GLM 4.5 Air or GLM 4.6V?

Arena coding: GLM 4.5 Air 1426, GLM 4.6V 1416 — GLM 4.5 Air leads.

Are GLM 4.5 Air and GLM 4.6V open-weight models?

GLM 4.5 Air: Open weights. GLM 4.6V: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run GLM 4.5 Air and GLM 4.6V?

ModelCap currently lists 3 API providers for GLM 4.5 Air and 2 for GLM 4.6V, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 4.6V comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 7 November 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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